Yes, but although the selection criteria may be similar the positions maybe very different. Please think about the type of role that will suit you best and your ultimate goals, and only apply for appropriate vacancies.

The interviews will normally consist of a panel of two or three people. One of whom, depending on the role, maybe a parent of a child or young person who uses the service, or a young person who uses the service themselves.

When you get the call to advise you that you have been invited for interview you need to start preparing straight away.

Interviews can be a nerve wracking or an inspiring experience so the more you prepare the more comfortable you will feel. You will need to make sure that you read through and understand the job description/advertisement.

Don’t forget first impressions last! So make sure that you make an effort in your appearance and dress appropriately for a business environment and ensure you go to your interview with a positive and friendly disposition.

And remember, you wouldn’t be there if we didn’t think you had something to offer!

It may be useful for you to write a short list of questions to ask the interviewers regarding the role, as this is your opportunity to find out more about the position.

Yes, KIDS is an equal rights employer, and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community. We do not discriminate and should the occasion arise, will work with any Disabled staff member to accommodation their requirements.

No paperwork is required. Simply phone or email us or, alternatively, complete a referral form. Please see below for our referral form, which you can download and return to us.

A member of staff will take details of the case and if both parties to the disagreement agree to take part in mediation, a date will be arranged, and the mediation will proceed.

Please note that Local Authority Officers, Parent Partnership Officers or any other third parties must have permission from parents/ carers before passing their details to the KIDS London SEN Mediation Service. Guidance for Local Authorities (click here)

KIDS London SEN Mediation Service has a panel of independent, experienced mediators.

They have a wide variety of professional backgrounds, and have all received extensive training in mediation and are fully briefed on special educational needs legislation and practice.

All our mediators are independent, highly skilled, experienced professionals.They all have an accredited qualification in mediation and have received additional training in SEN legislation and practice.

Please see below for more information about each of our panel of SEN mediators.

Audrey Dorival has been a mediator since 1996. After completing her postgraduate law degree at the London School of Economics, Audrey qualified as a solicitor in 1991. She worked for 11 years as a litigator in private practice until 2002 when she became a full time mediator.

Audrey has worked as a special educational needs mediator since 2002. She has also worked in other areas of conflict resolution including community, workplace and commercial disputes.

Audrey is a mediation skills facilitator and a Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) accredited mediator. Audrey is also the Manager of the KIDS London SEN Mediation Service.

Margaret Doyle is also a researcher on alternative dispute resolution (ADR). She trained as a mediator in 1987 and is accredited as part of the Legal Services Commission’s Mediation Quality Mark.

She mediates in disputes involving special educational needs, disability discrimination, and community conflicts. She is also an independent complaints adjudicator for a London local authority.

Margaret has worked with several voluntary-sector organisations involved in access to justice, including Advice Services Alliance, the National Consumer Council and the Public Law Project.

She is also an independent director of The Ombudsman Service Ltd and the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education.

Elaine Giles qualified as a mediator with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) in 2002, and has worked with KIDS in the area of Special Educational Needs mediation since then.

Elaine graduated in Linguistics and Language Pathology with a licence to practice Speech and Language Therapy in 1982, followed by 18 years working in the NHS with adults and children with communication difficulties in a variety of settings. These included nurseries, schools, day centres and hospitals.

Elaine was also involved in management, research and work in the voluntary sector.

Rosetta Delisle graduated in Sociology from London University, gained a professional social work qualification and worked in social work and management for many years. She managed services for children and young people with disabilities.

In this role, Rosetta worked closely with education, health and voluntary sector partners in planning, developing and providing services to children and their families. She ensured that young people made a smooth transition to adult services.

Rosetta also undertakes complaints investigations under the Children Act 1989 and the NHS and Community Care Act 1990. Rosetta gained her certificate in Applied Mediation (SEN) in 2004.

Kate Douglas graduated in Mathematics and has lectured in higher education for many years. Until recently, Kate was a trustee and then chair of a mental health charity serving young people.

She is currently a Mental Health Act Manager for an NHS trust and a volunteer in the criminal justice system. Kate has a diploma in law and qualified for the Certificate in Applied Mediation (SEN) in 2004.

Anne Jones is the Co-ordinator of Merton and Sutton Mediation. She has been a mediator since 2001, working in the fields of community mediation, SEN and workplace mediation. She was previously a solicitor in private practice, specialising in housing law, and also worked for ten years in complaints investigation.

Anne also provides training in mediation and conflict resolution.

Venti Costantini has worked as a mediator with the KIDS London SEN Mediation Service since September 2001. Until recently he worked as a Head teacher of an early year’s provision.

Mediation is an informal, voluntary process which involves an independent facilitator (the mediator) helping those in dispute to reach agreements that are acceptable to all parties.

The mediator is impartial, does not take sides, nor put forward suggestions or possible solutions to the dispute. The mediator is there to help to facilitate discussions and to make sure everyone is treated fairly.

The mediator is in control of the process but not of the outcome of the mediation. It is the parties themselves that find solutions and decide the outcome through participating in the mediation process.

This section is designed for young people aged 12 to 18 who may be attending a mediation session. It answers some commonly asked questions.

If you would like to download a copy of the questions and answers, please click here.

Or please scroll down this page to read the answers to these questions about mediation.

You may also like to look at this website on your rights which is aimed at children and young people.

What is mediation?

Mediation is a way of helping people when they have a disagreement. It involves an independent person (the mediator) who meets with the people who have a disagreement to help them talk things through in a calm and informal manner.

What will happen at the mediation meeting?

If your parents are having a mediation meeting it means they will be meeting with one of our mediators and someone from the local education authority and / or your school. The mediator will first of all give everyone a chance to say why they are in disagreement and how they want the situation to change.

For example, your parents might want you to go to a particular school and someone from the local education authority (the council) might say that that school isn’t right for you. So, at the mediation meeting your mum and dad and the person from the local authority would talk about your needs and give their opinions on which school is right for you. It’s great if you feel you can give your views on the situation, so that everyone knows what you think.

If I come to the mediation meeting what will I be asked to do or say?

If you come along, and if you want to speak, you can say what you think about the situation which has brought your parents to mediation. For example, if the local authority has said that they feel you are coping well at school and don’t need any help, and you think that you do need some help, you can say this at the mediation meeting.

Can I prepare beforehand what I want to say?

Yes, definitely- if you feel more comfortable doing that. You can prepare a few sentences and read them out at the meeting. This might be useful, for example if you think you might forget what you want to say.

What if I don’t want to give my views, or don’t feel comfortable speaking in front of my teacher?

Mediation is a calm and non-threatening process. But if you don’t want to give your views, or don’t feel comfortable speaking in front of anyone, you won’t be forced to. Even some adults feel nervous speaking in front of people, so don’t worry if you do feel a little bit nervous!

You could give your views to the mediator rather than in front of everyone, if you don’t feel totally comfortable.

Or else you could see if anyone could help you to give your views in another way, if you don't want to go to the mediation meeting. Some mums and dads have helped their son or daughter make a short video where the young person talks about their views. This can then be played to people at the meeting, without you having to be there.

If I go to the meeting, will they listen to what I have to say?

Yes! Mediation is designed to make sure that everyone’s views are heard and that people are listened to. Your views are important.

Will they make me go to a school I don’t want to go to?If you can, give your views on the situation, and explain why you don’t want to go to the school and what you’re worried about. You might get the chance to learn something new which will mean you’re not so worried.

What if my views aren’t the same as my parents’ views?

If you have different views to your parents, you should explain this to the mediator. He or she will want to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard, and that includes yours.

The mediator will be in charge of the meeting, so will make sure that everyone stays calm and focussed. If people don’t remain calm, then the mediator might suggest they take some time out to relax a bit.

You can also ask for time out any time you feel you need it.

What if someone says something about me which isn’t true?If someone says something about you which you think isn’t true, you should explain this to the mediator as soon as you can.Try not to shout out even if you are upset – you will have a time to speak. This is true for everyone, not just you. If you are upset, you can ask the mediator for time out at any time.

How long do mediation meetings last?

Mediations usually last around 4 hours. This includes time for short breaks.

What if I can’t sit still for 4 hours? What if I’m bored? Can I leave half way through?

It is unlikely that you will be asked to be at the meeting for the full 4 hours. Usually young people are just at mediations for some of the time. The mediation service will have explained this to your parents and will suggest that perhaps another relative can come and collect you from the meeting, after an hour or so.

If you think you are going to get bored in the hour or so you are going to be there, why not bring a book or magazine to read quietly. But you won’t be allowed to listen to music or play on a computer game, in case it distracts other people.

You will only be able to leave half way through if your parents say this is ok and if someone has come to collect you.

What will happen at the end of the mediation?

At the end of the mediation, the mediator will write up an agreement about anything your parents and the person from the local authority and / or your school have agreed.

For example, sometimes, after talking things through, people find out things they didn’t know before so they can change their minds on what they thought or they decide they think something new.

If nothing has been agreed, the mediator will record this on paper instead.

Case Study 1: Successful Resolution of Disagreement over Named School (Part 4 of Statement)

Background information

Joel* was a five year old boy with Autism, about to start primary school. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. D, were dismayed to discover that the local authority had named the nearby mainstream primary on Joel’s statement.

This was a complete surprise to them as they had had a letter from the local authority a few months earlier saying that Joel could go to a special school, after he had spent his first two school terms in the reception class in mainstream.

Parents' Views

Mr. and Mrs. D were shocked, they thought: how could the local authority go back on its word when their son’s future was at stake? They believed that Joel would never cope in mainstream: he may have been five years old but he wasn’t toilet-trained. He also found large groups very difficult to deal with.

Mr. and Mrs. D were determined to apply to the SEND Tribunal and do anything they felt was necessary to help their son secure the educational environment they believed would be best for him.

Local Authority's Views

For their part, the local authority felt that, whilst Joel did have specific needs, as outlined in his statement, these needs could be fully met by the mainstream school, with the support provided for him in the statement.

Mrs. A, the Head of SEN, also felt that the parents didn’t understand that budgetary constraints meant that Local Authorities had to consider the most appropriate placement for the child, which was not necessarily the one preferred by the parents.

What happened at mediation?

At the mediation meeting various options were explored. At the end of the mediation, a creative solution to the disagreement was found; it was decided that Mrs. A, the Head of SEN, would investigate the option of a dual placement for Joel.

He would attend the mainstream school 3 days a week and the special school for 2 days. Both parties went away feeling happy with this outcome; unlike at Tribunal where someone always loses, with mediation neither party feels that they have ‘lost’ or given in to the other side.

How did parties feel about the issues discussed at mediation, afterwards?

The parents said they were delighted: “A very useful professional service” and, “A compromise was explored that we thought was not an option. We thought it was well structured.”

The local authority representative said, “Mediation was helpful, to meet with parents in a constructive setting.”

Abdul* attended a school for children with moderate learning difficulties. At the time this case went to mediation, he was 8 years old, and was unable to feed himself. His mother, Mrs. M, called us in a distraught state. She was sure that the Local Authority didn't understand the seriousness of her son's needs.

Despite several meetings with the Local Authority and the case being referred twice to panel, it had been felt that Abdul should remain in his current placement with a respite package from social services.

His mother lodged an appeal with the SEND Tribunal and also requested mediation. She wanted a placement which she felt could fully cater for Abdul's complex needs.

What happened at mediation?

Attending mediation were Mrs. M, her Advocate, the Head of SEN and a Social Services Team Manager.

4 hours passed, and Abdul’s needs were seen in a different light. The case went back to panel with the fresh information that had been uncovered. Residential placement was agreed. Tribunal was successfully avoided.

So, what was different?

Meetings had taken place before and the case had been discussed, in great detail, at panel meetings.•Why then, on the third time, did the panel take a different view?•Was it a case of he or she who shouts loudest wins?•Was the panel simply caving in?

"No" is the answer to these three questions. The truth lies in the tangible difference the mediation process made.

Mediation allowed for a different quality of communication and therefore a different perspective was taken.

How did parties feel about the issues discussed at mediation, afterwards?

The parent said: “I feel that without the mediation meeting, it would have taken much longer to resolve. The mediation proved very beneficial.”

The social services representative said, "Made the process more personal, very useful…an excellent service.”

The Local Authority representative said, “I thought my interpersonal skills were good – but the mediator helped in a way I had not foreseen. I was able to sit back and reflect more, asking different kinds of questions that allowed a different outcome."

Latest

Get your workout in for KIDS - welcomes all abilities, hosted by parent and experienced Yoga instructor Daniela Ogrizovic. Daniela is generously donating her skills for free, meaning all money raised goes towards disabled children, young people and their families.

Most read

KIDS’ Adventure Playgrounds provide stimulating and inclusive play on a closed access site. The Hackney playground offers an accessible green space within an urban environment, where children can choose their play in a setting which supports their requirements.

KIDS short breaks provides trained staff to support children and young people in their own home and/or out and about in the community. The service offers a flexible approach, families are able to book support to meet their child/young person’s needs.
Read more